'The Card Count King' *PIC*

[zengrifter]

'Breaking Vegas' starts taping in Minden

by Jo Rafferty
January 7, 2005

"Cameras up, everybody," yelled the director to the four actors standing or sitting around the blackjack table at the Carson Valley Inn on Thursday.

One Sony High Definition Cinealta camera marked "A" held still on two actors sitting at the table while the "B" camera followed the movements of a man with a dark afro and beard wearing a shiny rust-colored shirt and a large gold medallion.

"We use two of them and they're synchronized," said Andon Dansie, script supervisor and production assistant for Atlas Media of Hollywood.

"The A camera is the main shot and the B camera is side views and background."

The hairy thespian in the scene is David Brown playing Ken Uston in "Card Count King," one of four episodes of "Breaking Vegas," a History Channel documentary series being shot at the Inn Wednesday through Saturday this week.

His '70s outfit was chosen by Michael Holdaway, costume designer.

continued here - http://www.recordcourier.com/article/20050107/News/101070010

 

[The Mayor]

It's about time!!!

There was just a movie made about Stu Ungar, about time Uston got his due.

 

[Garo]

maybe I'm being a hypocrite here...

but aren't these movies bad for us? I say hypocrite because I got into counting after watching the History Channel special on MIT. The more people get interested in this subject the more will do it, and some of them will succeed. Aren't we worse off with more card counters out there?

 

[Sonny]

We love these movies!

> The more people get interested in this subject the more will do it, and some
> of them will succeed.

Not necessarily. The more people who try it the more people will fail. They will not practice enough, they will get drunk and sloppy at the table, they will not play accurately, they will not understand risk-of-ruin and go broke (and probably give up because they think it doesn't work), they will not take it seriously, they will not understand the concepts behind card counting, etc. There are numerous reasons why these people will fail. We see new people posting on these sites all the time. Very few of them stick around. Many of them cannot shake off their "gambler's" mindset. Others just want a quick way to make money. Others just want to know how to break even on vacation. Of the thousands that try, less than one will become a serious threat to the casinos.

> Aren't we worse off with more card counters out there?

The more people who are throwing away their money at the casinos, the more the casinos will lighten up on us. If they see card counters playing inaccurately (without an advantage) then they might even give us good ones a little less heat. In any case, the casinos will be making more money once these movies come out.

-Sonny-

 

[stainless steel rat]

I agree

The only problem the movies will cause is that the tables will be more crowded, and there will be fewer low-limit tables at the classier places due to increased demand...

 

[suicyco maniac]

I agree

Putting card counting out into the mainstream via TV is bad for us..because of the reason you spoke of as well as increasing casino paranoia and also the thing that I hate the most...ploppies pointing out "you must be counting cards" or other statements like that...right now most of society thinks you have to be Rainman or a math profesor to count cards and I'd like it to stay that way...of course some could argue we are doing the same thing here by discussing counting all the time but at least the general public has to go out of their way and do some searching to come across this or other sites....that being said I look forward to watching the special on Ken Uston. SM

 

[Stealth Bomber]

Most wannabies will never go the distance

to be good enough to consistantly beat the game. For every one that can even play a break even game or better, there must be hundreds who will fail and fall into the big web and have their $ taken. I think the attention these type of movies bring, can only make the casinos even more money than they even realize.

 

[Victoria]

those not going the distance

Is not the point in my mind. Sure there will be a ton of new wannabees who will fail, but when I think about how this will effect me, I come to this conculsion: Anything the alerts and educates casino types, will likely hurt me. Anything that gives ploppies a glimpse, can come back and hurt me.
There is also the possibility of a worsening of rules.
Also, some of those pit types might figure out that women can do this too.

I also enjoy these movies, just do not want anyone else to see them.

Victoria

 

[Stealth Bomber]

What's the % of AP's to non AP's?

Anything the alerts and educates casino types, will likely hurt me.

This is most likely true only because of the worry and paranoia contained within the pea-brained casino management people.

The way I believe it is actually happening in the real world is: The more the public is educated, the more wannabies are created, resulting in more "less than break even players" (losers). The casinos make more money because of the few people who are able to beat the game and the hype created therefrom. We will always be better for the casino industry than not. In fact, they should pay us extra to continue doing even more of what we do.

 

[ZOD]

Just a thought

I hope it works that way in the real world. But, to play devil's advocate for a minute, the following could happen: The not ready for prime time players flock to the tables in droves as a result of the hype from the books and movies. The casinos respond to these masses by worsening the rules to fleece these novices even more. The players all go broke because, while they understand that counting can work, they don't understand what determines a "good" or an "inferior" game.

Maybe, maybe not. But I still think that the best thing for counters is to educate ploppies on what constitute good games and bad. For instance, making sure that basic strategy cards have an "advantageous rules" list as well as H/S/D/SP tables. We know that picking the right game is even more important than what count strategy we use. If ploppies know this too, and are selective about the games THEY choose, the casinos would have no choice but to offer better games if they indeed want to keep blackjack alive. Then, we all benefit.

On a side note, I love to talk blackjack with ploppies at the table. I can usually steer the conversation to what a ripoff 6/5 is, and how I don't trust those damn continuous shufflers. I guarantee that most ploppies wouldn't sit down at either type of table when I get through with them.

I guess it's just my small way of making a difference. (grin)

Best...

ZOD

 

[Garo]

I was just thinking....

I was just thinking the same thing earlier tonight. If there were some way to get information about quality of games to ploppies easily then the casinos would have no choice but to offer good games. Perhaps some of you rich old counters who live in Vegas could take that on as a project. Perhaps some kind of advertising at McCarran, handouts or posters listing the best blackjack games in town.

 

[Stealth Bomber]

Advertising an Internet link...

could be a hot set-up for informing the general public of what's hot and what's not, including the do's and don't's in Vegas. Award the "good" casinos with positive media buzz.

How about simply a list of good ones and bad ones?

 

[Dali-lama]

Advertising...I am amazed Barrack does not

see the $$$$ in advertising that it offers better games than
the strip. I was on fremont the other day and crap joints were hoppin'
...I walk into LVC, 4 BJ tables open, of which one, a $5.00 table was the only one busy. Just opening up more $5.00 tables would make that place a
fortune. Let me run these places...